KARACHI:
A young man shot dead by trigger-happy muggers during a motorcycle snatching attempt in Gulshan-e-Iqbal was laid to rest on Sunday.
According to the FIR registered on the complaint of Usman Moin, brother of the victim, identified as 27-year-old Ittiqa Moin, two armed men on a motorcycle intercepted Ittiqa as he was returning from a bakery run.
They forcibly snatched his motorcycle, mobile phone, and cash, and started beating him. This is when Ittiqa put up resistance, prompting the muggers to open fire. One bullet struck Ittiqa in the right armpit and exited from the left side.
Speaking to the media, the elder brother of the victim, Ibad Moeen, revealed that the fatal snatching happened near their house and one of the heartless muggers attempted to body-search Ittiqa after the shooting. Ittiqa, a university gold medallist and also an MBA student, was a brilliant young man with a promising future ahead.
His brother, also a Hafiz-e-Quran, lamented the state of the country’s economic affairs, questioning the fate of those who aspire to contribute to the nation’s progress but face such tragic ends. The victim, who had got married in January, leaves behind a young window and family to mourn his death.
Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Ali Khurshidi attended the funeral prayer of Ittiqa and expressed condolences with the family. Haq-Parast members of the National Assembly and the Sindh Assembly attended the funeral.
While speaking to media representatives, MQM-P MPA Khurshidi said that it is evident that the deaths in snatching and mugging is a deliberate target killing of city’s talented youth.
He accused the Sindh police of being complicit in the city’s crimes. He said that engineers, doctors, riders, and ordinary people are no longer safe from criminals.
Khurshidi stated that police officers, who pay hefty bribes for posting in Karachi, have no interest in maintaining law and order; rather, they are only concerned with collecting their money along with interest.
The Sindh Assembly opposition leader said that parents are tired from carrying their children’s coffins. Measures should be taken to address their grievances, and action should be taken regarding the situation in Karachi so that the citizens can breathe a sigh of relief.
MQM Pakistan Central Committee Member Syed Mustafa Kamal also condoled with the parents of Ittiqa and said that people of urban areas are being oppressed under the quota system in Sindh for the last 50 years. He alleged that jobs are given to the people of rural Sindh on the quota of urban Sindh by creating fake domiciles and now these talented youths are being killed under the guise of robbery.
JI denounces Ittiqa’s murder
The newly elected Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi, Munim Zafar Khan, attended the funeral prayer of Hafiz Ittiqa Moeen, at Jamia Sattaria in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. Prior to this, Munim Zafar Khan visited Ittiqa’s residence to meet his family and offer condolences.
Munim criticized the Sindh government, police department, and law enforcement agencies for failing to protect the lives and property of the citizens. He highlighted the ongoing activities of criminals and armed robbers in the city.
He demanded that the government arrest the killers of Ittiqa Moeen and take effective measures to curb criminal activities and ensure public safety. Town Chairman Gulshan-e-Iqbal Dr Fawad, UC Chairman Muzaffar Iqbal, and area Nazim Nauman Patel were also present during the meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2024.
